The potential biomedical applications of new synthetic polymers continue to increase in both number and complexity. Substantial impact on patient management has already been achieved with a variety of devices such as controlled release delivery systems (as found in coronary artery stents) or in polymer/cell combinations as exemplified by artificial skin used to treat burn patients [1].
Perhaps the most popular class of synthetic biocompatible polymers currently used for medical applications are polyesters. Although widely used, polyester applications have been limited by their hydrophobicity and, as a result, their usefulness has been hindered in aqueous environments. Tailoring the polymer backbone is also difficult since pendant functional groups are lacking, restricting the covalent attachment of bioactive molecules [2]. For degradable polyesters, the nature of the degradation products has also raised concerns about pH fluctuations and its effect on the local tissue environment [3, 4].